Netanyahu (center) is still stalling and does not want to reach a specific agreement, according to what Hamas said (Reuters)

A source familiar with the indirect negotiations between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel said that the statement issued by the movement the day before yesterday, Monday, confirming that the occupation’s response did not respond to any of the basic demands of the Palestinian people and their resistance, came after the mediators received a negative Israeli response that confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is not... Concerned with reaching an agreement that stops the aggression and leads to the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip.

The source revealed that the main point that sparked the negotiations was Israel’s insistence on limiting the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip to women, children and the elderly, while postponing the return of all groups to the second phase of the negotiations.

The source indicated that the latest Israeli offer made a slight amendment in this item from the previous offer, adding only the elderly, in contrast to Hamas’s demand for the unconditional return of the displaced.

Hamas said in its statement on Monday that it informed the mediators that the movement “adheres to its position and vision that it presented on March 14, because the occupation’s response did not respond to any of the basic demands of our people and our resistance: a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced, "And a real exchange of prisoners."

The movement stressed that "Netanyahu and his extremist government bear full responsibility for thwarting all negotiation efforts and obstructing reaching an agreement so far."

Prisoner exchange equation

The source familiar with the negotiations said that Israel returned to tampering with the prisoner exchange equation, offering to release only 10 prisoners with high sentences for every female soldier released by Hamas, provided that Israel presents a specific list from which the movement chooses, noting that Hamas’s demand was to release 50 prisoners. , including 30 who received high sentences, and 20 who served life sentences, and the resistance determined their names.

Israel also demanded that Hamas commit to releasing 40 Israeli civilians, including women, children, the elderly, and the sick, in the first stage, and said that if this number does not exist due to the killing of some of them, they must be replaced by the category of soldiers, which Hamas rejects, and believes that it is inconsistent with the Paris 1 and Paris Agreements. 2, in reference to the frameworks that were agreed upon in the French capital since last February.

Therefore, according to the source, Hamas focuses on adopting an exchange formula for each category instead of specifying numbers, because the number of prisoners decreases as the war continues.

The same source said that the Hamas leadership concluded that there is no point in continuing the exchange of papers, because Netanyahu is procrastinating and does not want to reach a specific agreement, and confirmed its adherence to its position and vision that it presented on March 14.

Earlier today, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel are still continuing to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and ceasefire, despite reports that Tel Aviv has summoned its negotiating delegation from the Qatari capital, Doha.

A foreign source told the Commission that the main point of disagreement revolves around the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, but a settlement can still be reached.

An Israeli source stated that reaching a compromise on the return of the displaced was possible, but the Israeli delegation was not authorized to resolve the issue, he said.

Yesterday, Tuesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that talks are still ongoing between the parties at the level of technical teams, and clarified that there is no timetable for negotiations.

Indirect negotiations are being conducted between Hamas and Israel through Qatari and Egyptian mediation, with the participation of the United States, in light of the continuation of the Israeli war on Gaza since last October.

Source: Al Jazeera